[SMM Tin Morning Update: Night Session Rebounds to Reclaim 424,000, July FOMC Minutes Set the Tone for September Path]

[SMM Tin Morning Brief: After PPI Positive News Materialized, Bulls Take Profits, 420,000 Strong Support Under Test]

[SMM Tin Morning Update: PPI Cooling Benefit Digested, 428,000 Becomes the New Battleground Pivot]

On August 17th, DRC lithium hydroxide prices rose 3.89% to $20,065.63/mt in the 10-15 August 2026 pricing period, up $751.34/mt from $19,314.29/mt, making it the strongest performer among the country's key mineral exports. Tin concentrate (cassiterite) also gained, rising 1.67% to $17,531.44/mt from $17,243.55/mt. Other lithium products moved lower over the same period. Lithium carbonate fell 0.99% to $16,732.44/mt, while lithium sulphate declined by the same margin to $9,412/mt. Lithium concentrate posted the sharpest drop in the category, down 2.60% to $412/mt from $423/mt. Elsewhere, tantalum concentrate eased 0.69% to $28,171.57/mt and nickel slipped 0.88% to $15,055.74/mt. SMM View: The divergence between hydroxide and the rest of the DRC lithium complex points to differentiated demand pull along the value chain, with converted, battery-grade material commanding a premium even as upstream concentrate softens. Given mining's outsized weight in DRC export earnings, sustained hydroxide strength could bolster the case for domestic beneficiation, though the country's continued exposure to concentrate-price volatility underscores the risk of relying on raw ore exports.

[SMM Tin Morning Update: Mild PPI Lowered the Probability of a September Rate Hike to 32%; 430,000 Round Number Closed, Breaking Through for the First Time This Week]

[SMM Morning Meeting Minutes: Repeated Swings in Macro Sentiment Coupled With a Tight Supply Gap on the Ore Side, Tin Prices Swing Wildly at Highs]